Episodes

Everyone wants hot abs, and everyone on the internet will tell you how to get them if you hand them $50 and make room in your apartment for some weird metal torture device. In this episode, Daphnie explains what your ab muscles actually are and why they’re so important (they’re not just for looking hot, people). Joanna does a series of ab exercises punctuated by loud groaning. Plus, Daphnie gives us snack advice in What Your Trainer Eats.

We have 10 times more microbial cells in our body than we have human cells. What are they all doing there? Dr. Gabi Fragiadakis, post-doctoral researcher in Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University, sheds some light on what the microbes in our gut are up to, how they might be affecting our health, and what scientists think we should be eating to keep our microbiome happy.

Flexibility is really valuable in dance and gymnastics, but as you get older it can feel like it’s a consolation prize for women: “She’s not very strong, but she’s flexible.” Daphnie explains why we all should be striving to increase our flexibility regardless of gender or age (and that doesn’t mean being able to touch your toes or doing the splits. Thank goodness.)

“I want to make a change, but I just can’t seem to make it happen.” Sound familiar? We’ve been there, in our work lives and our fitness lives. Dr. Amanda Crowell (cognitive psychologist and change coach) says there are three mindsets that are keeping us from making those changes, and she shares her tools for adjusting those mindsets so that we “normal people” can do the awesome things we want to do.

This President’s Day has us thinking about the Presidential Fitness Test. Do you have terrible memories of trying to do a “flexed arm hang” in front of all of your 7th grade classmates? We do! So we’re scrapping the old test and suggesting a handful of better ways to track your fitness progress. It’s the Just One More Fitness Test! Plus, Daphnie answers a listener question about how to balance evening workouts and trying not to eat late.

It feels harder to work out in the winter. It’s cold (duh), it gets dark early, and no one can see your body under all those sweaters anyway. But in the quest for #NoWinterLayer, Daphnie has some suggestions for how to make the most of winter workouts. We talk about how to create an at-home workout, how to make the dreadmill your friend, and what the heck broomball is. Plus, we discuss dessert in “What Your Trainer Eats”.

Every person you know is too busy, including you. Feeling super busy can be stressful, and it can keep you from putting your energy toward the things that matter the most. We talk about how we got so busy, what we get out of it, and how we can take things down a notch. Plus, Daphnie explains what’s wrong with a Pinterest diet in “This is Crazy, Right?”

As a society, we are obsessed with butts. Kids like talking about them because they have to do with the bathroom. Adults are always panicking about whether their butts are too big or too small. We dance to songs about them and even get butt implants. But at the end of the day, your butt is just a muscle. Or, group of muscles? What is your butt, really? Daphnie explains why your butt is so important. Plus, we discover chickpea pasta in “What Your Trainer Eats”!

Dairy is one of those foods that people are always swearing off for one reason or another. So what’s the real story? Should we be avoiding dairy or not? Are some dairy foods healthier than others? Daphnie gives us the scoop (like ice cream, get it?)

It’s the winter edition of our “Eating for Power” series! Prepare your soups and stews, ladies and gentlemen. And, may we suggest, your curries? In this episode, Daphnie explains what it means to eat for power, and she and Joanna share some of their favorite powerful warming recipes for the winter months.

Do you sometimes find yourself feeling depressed in the winter months? You’re not alone! Many of us suffer from the Winter Blues, or the more serious Seasonal Affective Disorder. Daphnie explains what the symptoms are, when to see a doctor, and what you can do in your day-to-day life to try and lift your mood until the sun comes back in the spring. Plus, we hit a grand slam in “Best Choice”.

It’s the first week of January. Did you make a resolution? We’re here to trash it! Just kidding, we’re actually here to help you make a better resolution so you can sustain it and feel like a rockstar instead of feeling like a garbage failure by the end of January (trust us, we’ve been there). Here’s to kickstarting sustainable change! Plus, Daphnie does her best Consumer Reports impression in our latest Listener Question.

What is alcohol? Fun? Dangerous? Caloric? Exciting? How does it make you drunk? Does Daphnie ever get hungover? To prep for New Years Eve, we talk science and strategy with alcohol, including hangover tips, how drinking affects your weight, and the best drinks to choose when you’re out at da club. (We are nearly constantly at da club, just for your reference.) Plus, a listener question about finding exercises on the big scary internet.

Eating habits: we’ve all got ‘em. It’s totally normal. Some of them are probably good habits! But some of them are more like, “I’M STICKING FOOD IN MY FOOD HOLE BECAUSE IT’S PRETZEL O’CLOCK!” Daphnie and Joanna talk about how we form food habits, which ones we might want to think about breaking, and how to do it in a healthy, sustainable way.

Show us your muscles! Fitness media is really gendered: women are told to only focus on losing weight, and men are encouraged to bulk up in crazy ways. So, let’s take it down a notch and talk about how and why normal people should build muscle in a healthy, sustainable way. Plus, we spark joy with a Listener Question.

It’s the time of year for buying gifts for all sorts of people in your life (and the time of year for making a wish list for yourself!) This “Just One More” gift guide is full of Joanna and Daphnie’s ideas for fitness and nutrition related gifts that normal people won’t think are a bummer (or a fat-shaming hint or something).

Most of us will get referred to a physical therapist at some point in our lives, but how can we tell if we have a good one, and what are they actually supposed to be doing for us? Daphnie’s physical therapist, Dr. Ray Ednie, joins us to talk about how to make the most out of your physical therapy experience. Plus, we find out what Daphnie is like as a patient...

It’s easy to be mad at our bodies. Why can’t they look the way we want them to? Why don’t they run faster? Why aren’t they stronger? Why do they still operate based on Caveman rules? But our bodies are INCREDIBLE! Here are 5 ways to thank your body for the incredible job it does of keeping you alive. Plus, if you don’t have time for a Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving, Daphnie has some alternate ideas in “Daphnie’s Favorite Exercise”.

Self-improvement can start to feel exhausting. There are only so many things you can make Google Calendar reminders about for yourself before you feel like you don’t have any time to just...be. But if we stop doing these things, will it make us failures? Quitters? Fat? When is it time to burn it all down and take a break? Daphnie helps us work through our burnout and find some balance. Plus, we go out for brunch in “What Your Trainer Eats”.

A listener asks: in the age of body positivity and self acceptance, is it OK that I still want to lose weight? Joanna and Daphnie tackle the layers of guilt built into our relationships with our bodies and how to care for ourselves without letting worries about our bodies take over our lives. Plus, we look at another Pinterest diet in “This is Crazy, Right?”